Saguaro Lake fills a canyon of the lower Salt River behind Stewart Mountain Dam, a 212-foot concrete thin-arch dam the Salt River Project (SRP) built between 1928 and 1930. It was the last of three hydroelectric dams SRP added to the lower Salt that decade, after Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa, making Saguaro the final reservoir created on the river. Canyon walls rim the water and saguaros line the shores.
For anglers, Saguaro is a warmwater fishery first. The Tonto National Forest reports more than 2,200 installed fish-habitat structures and cites Bassmaster magazine’s view that October-December and February to mid-April are the best trophy bass windows. Forest Service fish census work has documented largemouth over 12 pounds and carp around 30 pounds; walleye, black crappie, smallmouth bass and yellow bass turn up occasionally. The lake also holds Arizona’s archery records for bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo and carp.
Trout are less certain than older guides suggest. AZGFD has described Saguaro as a winter trout water, but the lake did not appear on the department’s weekly trout stocking lists for winter 2025-26, which named the lower Salt River below the dam instead. Check the current AZGFD schedule before planning a trout trip.
Lake notes updated October 6, 2026No recent official weeks are listed for Saguaro Lake right now. AZGFD may still add this water in a later schedule.
No stocking activity found for this period.
From Mesa, the Forest Service routes visitors north on State Route 87 to the Bush Highway (Forest Road 204), then about 4 miles to the lake. Saguaro del Norte, the main day-use area and motorized launch, has picnic units, ramadas and a sheriff’s aid station; trailers there must be under 28 feet. Saguaro Lake Marina adds slips, a fuel dock, boat rentals, a ship’s store and a restaurant. Butcher Jones, a separate beach and picnic area with a nature trail, allows no trailers and fills quickly in spring and summer.
The bays in front of Butcher Jones and Saguaro del Norte are closed to motorized watercraft, and the upper (east) end is no-wake, with boat-access camping for those seeking seclusion. A Tonto Daily Pass covers picnic sites and shorelines; launching takes a Daily Pass plus Watercraft Sticker or a Tonto Discovery Pass, and America the Beautiful passes are honored only at picnic sites. Tournaments need a Mesa Ranger District permit. Glass is banned, there is no trash service, and levels fluctuate daily, so watch for rocks just below the surface.
The first of the two trophy-bass windows the Forest Service cites from Bassmaster, arriving as the April-October boating peak ends.
Check AZGFD’s schedule for trout plants at the lake. In winter 2025-26 the department stocked the lower Salt River below the dam weekly, and the same Tonto Pass covers those river sites.
The second Bassmaster trophy window, before summer weekend traffic arrives.
On most weekends and holidays from April through October the lake hits boating capacity early, and vehicles towing boats are turned away once boat parking fills. Weekday mornings and evenings are the practical times to fish.
Statewide regulations apply at Saguaro Lake with two lake-specific exceptions in AZGFD’s 2025-26 booklet: a 15-crappie daily limit, and a 5-catfish limit when catfish are taken by bow and arrow (10 by other legal methods). Fishing is closed in posted areas immediately below Mormon Flat Dam. AZGFD lists Saguaro as affected by quagga mussels and golden algae, so clean, drain and dry boats and gear before visiting another lake. Anglers 10 and older need an Arizona fishing license, and a Tonto pass is required for shoreline day use and boat launching.
Yes. A Tonto Daily Pass or Discovery Pass is required for day use, and launching a boat with a Daily Pass also requires a Watercraft Sticker.
Not reliably. The lake has a history of winter trout stocking, but it was not on AZGFD’s weekly winter trout lists for 2025-26, which named the lower Salt River below the dam instead. Check the current AZGFD stocking schedule before you go.
Saguaro del Norte is the Forest Service’s motorized launch; Saguaro Lake Marina also has a ramp. Butcher Jones does not allow trailers.
The Tonto National Forest cites Bassmaster magazine: October through December, and February to mid-April.
Dates are AZGFD stocking weeks, not guaranteed plant days. How this data is sourced